Modular shoot house facility

ABSTRACT

A modular shoot house facility is formed by building a modular shoot house and a modular enclosure around the modular shoot house for protecting the modular shoot house from the wind.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Related Applications

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/562,164, filed on Apr. 13, 2004.

2. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to modular ballistic walls fordecelerating projectiles, commonly referred to as a shoot house, and toan enclosure for the same. More specifically, the present inventionrelates to modular shoot houses and a modular structure designed toprotect the shoot house from gusts of wind to thereby make the shoothouse more modular while ensuring stability.

3. State of the Art

In order to maintain proficiency in the use of firearms, it is commonfor law enforcement officers and sportsmen to engage in target practice.While target practice has traditionally been conducted on a range inwhich targets were placed a distance away from the shooter, many haverealized that such a scenario does not adequately train officers formany real life situations. For example, a substantial percentage of thepolice officers who are killed each year are killed within fifteen feetof the perpetrator. Many are killed within five feet—often within theconfines of a house or other building.

In order to better train police officers, many individuals beganbuilding ballistic walls in arrangements to resemble a house or otherbuilding. These structures, typically referred to as shoot houses,enabled police officers to train in situations in which the officerfaces realistic threats to their safety. Additionally, as the type ofcombat to which military troops may be exposed increasingly involvesurban warfare, it is critical that military troops also be trained inhouse to house combat.

Shoot houses were originally constructed out of concrete, gravel filledwalls, or tire walls. While these shoot houses provided a markedimprovement over traditional training, they are not as realistic andoften do not resemble conventional looking walls.

A significant improvement in shoot houses was achieved with theinvention of modular shoot house walls in which plates of steel wereattached together in a ballistically sound manner by facing and backingstrips and then covered by a frame. The frame typically had two-by-foursattached to the facing strips that held the plates together, and piecesof plywood that extend between the two-by-fours. A more detaileddescription of one preferred construction of a shoot house is set forthin U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,936.

When the plywood was painted, the shoot house looked very similar to aconventional home with the roof removed. In such a shoot house, anofficer is able to train in a ballistically safe environment thatclosely resembles what may be the most dangerous scenario that he willface.

One problem which is present in modular shoot houses is structuralrigidity. While the panels of a shoot house are wood and steel, they canact like a sail in response to strong wind gusts. If a portion of ashoot house collapses due to a wind storm, the risk of serious injury toanyone inside is significant.

To alleviate these concerns, it is common to extensively cross-brace thedifferent panels. The cross-bracing is highly advantageous from thepoint of structural integrity and virtually insures that the wall panelswill not fall in even the severest of storms. The use of thecross-braces, however, also has the corresponding disadvantage of makingthe shoot house less modular and mobile. Specifically, the more thatcross-bracing is used to provide structural support, the less mobile theshoot house is, as the cross-bracing must be removed in order to takeapart and move the panels.

Thus, there is needed an improved system and method for protecting amodular shoot house, while maintaining portability of the system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved modularshoot house facility.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a modular shoothouse facility which provides improved protection from the elements.

In accordance with the above and other objects of the invention amodular ballistic shoot house facility is disclosed which includes aplurality of metal plates which are connected to form a shoot house, anda portable/modular external structure disposed so as to enclose theshoot house.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the external structureis a portable modular building, such as a teepee or tent which isengineered to withstand high winds.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the externalstructure is a modular building, such as a Quonset hut, which can bedisassembled, moved with the steel plates and reassembled at a desiredlocation.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the shoot house andthe portable building are disposed directly on the ground, or on sometemporary frame or foundation such as logs or railroad ties or metalpieces, rather than on a permanent foundation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from a consideration of the following detaileddescription presented in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows an end view of a shoot house disposed in a tent inaccordance with one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a teepee formed in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a shoot house and a cut-away view of a Quonset hut inaccordance with one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the Quonset hut in FIG. 3 and anchors usedto secure the hut in the ground.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elementsof the present invention will be given numeral designations and in whichthe invention will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in the artto make and use the invention. It is to be understood that the followingdescription is only exemplary of the principles of the presentinvention, and should not be viewed as narrowing the pending claims.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a shoot house 100 disposed in aportable, modular enclosure in the form of a tent 104. The shoot house100 is assembled in the manner disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,936, orin any other appropriate configuration. Rather than extensivecross-bracing of the shoot house 100, the tent 104 is configured towithstand a significant wind storm, to thereby prevent the walls of theshoot house 100 from being collapsed by the wind. It will be appreciatedthat a variety of tent configurations can be used to provideaerodynamics. Additionally, a door 106 may be provided which may beopened to provide access to the shoot house 100, and which may be closedto isolate the shoot house 100 from the wind, rain, etc. Additionally,support cables 108 and anchors 112 can be used to ensure that the tent104 will not collapse.

In addition to protecting the walls of the shoot house 100, the tent 104also enables use of the shoot house in a variety of weather conditions.For example, such a configuration could be used in a desert environment,such as Kuwait, where sand storms can damage fire arms. By closing thetent 104, the shoot house can continue to be used without risk to theweapons or the soldier's training in the shoot house. Similarly, thetent 104 could permit the use of the shoot house 100 during rain orother weather conditions.

One big advantage of the construction shown in FIG. 1 is that afoundation is not necessary. The shoot house 100 can be built directlyon the dirt, on a gravel bed, or on many other surfaces. When it isdesirable to relocate the shoot house 100, the tent 104 is taken down,as is the shoot house 100, and the two are moved to the new location. Insuch a manner, the military and other mobile law enforcement are able totake their training facilities to wherever they are stationed withhaving to pour or otherwise form a new foundation each time. A temporaryfoundation such as logs, wood, metal plates, etc. which is easily movedand which helps support the weight of the shoot house may be used.Additionally, the shoot house 100 can be readily reconfigured toreplicate an intended target. For example, if a special operations unitwere about to make an assault on a building believed to houseterrorists, the floor plan of the building could be replicated in theshoot house 100, to enable timing and other planning to be perfected.

Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown a side view of a teepee 120 havingthe shoot house 100 disposed inside. The sloped walls 124 of the teepee120 are more aerodynamic than the flat, straight walls of the shoothouse 100 and therefore are less likely to give way due to high winds.The configuration enables military troops or law enforcement to train inthe shoot house in a variety of weather conditions, while still allowingthe shoot house and external structure to be moved to another locationwhen desired.

Turning now to FIG. 3, there is shown a partial cut-away view of amodular shoot house facility, generally indicated at 128. The facility128 includes a modular shoot house 100 and a Quonset hut 130. TheQuonset hut 130 is made from a number of arcuate ribs 134 and sheets oftin or other metal 138 which are attached together to form a generallyhemispherical structure. A door 142 is placed at one end to providedaccess. Braces or anchors 146 may be used to support the weight of theQuonset hut or otherwise stabilize the structure as may be necessary.The braces or anchors 146 may provide a temporary foundation, aiding inpreventing movement of the shoot house. The anchors 146 may be railroadties, wood, metal, even concrete footings if desired.

Quonset huts 130 have been common in the military since the start ofWorld War II, as convenient storage facilities. Utilizing a Quonset hut130 or other similar, modular structure has both the benefit of limitingthe need for cross-bracing and the benefit of allowing the shoot houseto be used in almost any environment. Quonset huts 130 are particularlyadvantageous in this context because they are easy to assemble anddisassemble, relatively inexpensive, and have been demonstrated tohandle hurricane force winds without collapsing. Thus, the risk that awindstorm could topple the Quonset hut 130 and the shoot house 100 isextremely small.

While attempts have been made to place awnings or other coverings aboveshoot houses to allow their use during rain, there has been nomeaningful attempt to provide an enclosure structure which limits theneed to cross-brace the shoot house to protect against windstorms, etc.Use of a Quonset hut 130 has all of these advantages, while alsoproviding security against collapse of the shoot house independent ofcross-bracing. The use of the Quonset hut 130 also provides increasedsecurity, thereby limiting access to the shoot house 100 to authorizedpersonnel only.

Turning now to FIG. 4, there is shown a side view of the Quonset hut130. While a Quonset hut 130 and a shoot house can be placed on afoundation, or a temporary foundation 154 such as railroad ties, thepresent invention is advantageous because a foundation is not required.The shoot house 100 and the Quonset hut can be placed on dirt, gravel,or on a make-shift foundation, such as railroad ties, wood, metalplates, as is desired. To prevent the Quonset hut 130 from being blownaway, a plurality of anchors 150 can be used to secure the Quonset hutto the ground. The anchors 150 may be elongate stakes, may be corkscrewshaped, etc. The anchors 150 may then be removed or cut and the Quonsethut 130 and shoot house 100 disassembled if the shoot house facility 128is needed in another location.

Thus there is disclosed an improved modular shoot house facility. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications which can bemade without departing from the scope and spirit of the presentinvention. The appended claims are intended to cover such modifications.

1. A modular shoot house facility comprising: a modular shoot houseconfigured for stopping bullets; and a modular enclosure disposed aroundthe shoot house so as to protect the shoot house from wind gusts.
 2. Themodular shoot house facility according to claim 1, wherein the modularshoot house is formed from a plurality of steel panels attached to oneanother.
 3. The modular shoot house facility according to claim 1,wherein the modular enclosure comprises a tent.
 4. The modular shoothouse facility according to claim 1, wherein the modular enclosure has aplurality of anchors attached thereto for holding the modular enclosureto the ground.
 5. The modular shoot house facility according to claim 1,wherein the modular enclosure comprises a teepee.
 6. The modular shoothouse facility according to claim 1, wherein the modular enclosurecomprises a plurality of pieces of metal attached to one another so asto form an enclosure.
 7. The modular shoot house facility according toclaim 6, wherein the modular enclosure is generally arcuate.
 8. Themodular shoot house facility according to claim 1, wherein the modularenclosure comprises a Quonset hut.
 9. A method for forming a shoot housefacility comprising: forming a modular enclosure by attaching aplurality of pieces of material together so that the plurality of thepieces can be repeatedly assembled and disassembled; and forming amodular shoot house inside of the modular enclosure such that themodular enclosure protects the modular shoot house from wind.
 10. Themethod according to claim 9, wherein the method comprises forming themodular enclosure by erecting a tent.
 11. The method according to claim9, wherein the method comprises forming the modular enclosure byerecting a teepee.
 12. The method according to claim 9, wherein themethod comprises forming a Quonset hut.
 13. The method according toclaim 9, wherein the method further comprises attaching the modularenclosure to the ground by an anchor.
 14. The method according to claim9, wherein the method further comprises forming a modular enclosurewhich withstands high wind.
 15. A shoot house comprising: a plurality ofbullet proof walls disposed so as to form at least one room forballistic training, the plurality of walls being configured for repeatedassembly and disassembly so as to form a portable shoot house; and acovering structure, the covering structure being built independent ofthe bullet proof walls such that the bullet proof walls do not form apart of the walls or ceiling of the covering structure, the coveringstructure being configured for assembly and disassembly so as to beportable and being formed so as to withstand high winds.
 16. The shoothouse of claim 15, wherein the plurality of bullet proof walls areformed from plate steel.
 17. The shoot house of claim 15, wherein thecovering structure is selected from the group consisting of a tent, ateepee, and a Quonset hut.
 18. The shoot house of claim 15, wherein theshoot house lacks a permanent foundation.
 19. The shoot house of claim15, wherein the shoot house further comprises a temporary foundation.20. The shoot house of claim 15, wherein the shoot house furthercomprises a plurality of anchors configured for attaching the shoothouse to the ground.